Skeleton

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"I am at a loss to explain the average skeleton's somewhat ludicrous mental predisposition, however. Perhaps the implausibility of its own existence makes the skeleton think it hilarious to hide in a barrel, cackling intermittently for some three hundred years until a victim happens by?"

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"During the last days of King Leoric's reign, even the skeletons of the ancient dead could not rest. They took up their broken armor and weapons once more -- ready to cut down anything that yet drew breath. Though wasted and fragile, these creatures possess a twisted cleverness that makes them quite formidable."

Fierce undead warriors,[3] skeletons are the remains of warriors who either died as soldiers in some dark campaign, or were betrayed by those they most trusted.[1] Animated through necromatic rites or the spells of demons[4] skeletons do not seek to consume the flesh of the living, but only to extinguish the life of their victims.[3] While they may seem mischevous or imbecilic,[5] skeletons are unrelenting in their goals, move faster than zombies, and have some spark of intelligence,[3] the extent of which varies on the based on the power and scope of the spell involved in the skeleton's creation. Theoretically one could have a single astute skeleton servant or a rather dense army of a hundred for the same expenditure of magical energy.[5] While physically frail, skeletons never lack in number. Those who fall to skeletons in combat are damned to an eternal lust for living blood. Coupled with their unthinking rage, this makes skeletons dangerous opponents.[1]

Skeletons have demonstrated the use of a wide variety of weapons, including swords, clubs, bows, and even armor and shields, and are often equipped in the same armament in which they fell[3] or were buried with. Often these weapons are of poor quality.[4] Even more terrifying are the animated skeletal remains of expired magic wielders, who prove that even the dead can wield the forces of magic.[3]

Visage of the damned

Most skeletons are actually constructed from bits and pieces of any number of different skeletons, not a single one. Their diverse composition gives them the ability to form and reform, and makes them easily summoned, permitted there is adequate raw material at hand. For instance, one would have an easier time summoning skeletons in a graveyard than in a forest.[5] Usually they are found in places where they were laid to rest, or the site of a great battle.[1] An exception to this was during the Darkening of Tristram, when skeletons rose up due to Diablo's evil. Skeletons were encountered in the depths of the Tristram Cathedral, and it was believed that these were the remains of Horadric monks.[1]

A skeleton rises through necromancy

The Priests of Rathma, through necromancy, have the power to animate the remains of the deceased into skeletons. Animated partially through their own will and partially through the summoned spirits of ancient warriors, Necromancers often maintain a small host of these reanimated soldiers to do their bidding. As the Necromancer's knowledge of the undead improves, (s)he is able to harness and divert more powerful spirits to inhabit the corpses of the recently dead.[6]

Some say that skeleton eyes contain magical properties, despite the fact that skeletons are eyeless by definition.[7]

Skeletons are a recurring monster in all three of the Diablo games. Often among the most common enemies in the game, skeletons are counted among the lowest forms of undead along with zombies. They are generally fragile, but often appear in large groups.

Skeletons are commonly found throughout the Cathedral section of the labyrinth, and some appear in the upper Catacombs as well.

There are several types of skeletons. Some use swords, another group wields axes, while others still are archers. Later on, players will also encounter skeletal officers named Skeleton Captains ; these monsters wield shields in addition to one handed swords. Along with zombies, skeletons share a resistance to magic. There are three other variants: Corpse Axes, Burning Dead, and Horrors, along with their corresponding Captains.

Skeletons return in Diablo II, still one of the most common enemies found throughout the game. They wield numerous types of weapons including Swords, Axes, Military Picks, Flails, Maces, and Shields. Skeletons also have several differences in appearance, some completely naked though others can be seen wearing Helms, shoulderpads, ripped pants and Kamas.

Some of the skeletons encountered in Act I even wear the remnants of a feminine chest armor, revealing that they are the skeletal remains of long dead Rogues, and that at least some skeletons may be female.

Paladins excel in dealing with large flocks of Skeletons especially, due to their ability to utilize Holy Bolt, Fist of the Heavens, Sanctuary and other similar abilities to full effect. While Skeletons are vulnerable to most attacks, Poison elements are not effective against them and take extra damage from blunt weapons such as Clubs, Maces and Flails. Ranged weapons have less effect on Skeletons.

There are four other variations besides basic Skeletons: Returned, Bone Warriors, Burning Dead and Horrors.

These skeletons spawn in mixed packs and work together with much better AI than they have shown in the previous games in the series. Often skeletons will hide in barrels, piles of bones and other breakable objects. Summoners may raise skeletons, though the numbers are not unlimited.

Plain skeletons are a regular, fragile, numerous and weak cannon fodder, which will be massively encountered in Acts I, II and III. In later Acts, they will mostly be of red color, dealing small Fire damage on each melee hit.